A Certain Cafe: A My Hero Academia Fan Audio
Project Overview
DEADLINE: October 25th.
'A Certain Café' is a listener-insert romance audio set within the My Hero Academia universe. The narrative follows the listener as she wanders into a Butler Café to escape a storm, and features Mashirao Ojiro as the main love interest, a butler who works at the café. It's a feel-good, heart-warming piece that centres around the idea of identity, and how being plain isn't necessarily a bad thing.
This audio will feature on my YouTube channel (WhenSarahSmiles) to celebrate 10,000 subscribers. Currently it stands at 9,000 and is expected to hit 10k by November if not sooner. Therefore the process for A Certain Café will be a swift one, so I ask that you only apply if you can be diligent.
Recordings must be free of pops, clicks and tweaking should be kept to a minimum. Using a treated room for recording is preferred to reduce echo. Scripts will be delivered once you are successful with your audition.
I am looking for three voice actors for this project:
Mashirao Ojiro (Lead role) - A late-teen butler at the café who takes his job seriously but can't help but go out of his way to assist the Listener when he sees her looking sad. Kind hearted with a warm personality.
Tenya Iida (Minor role) - The head butler at the café. Formal and silky voiced, he welcomes the listener to the café and shows her to her table.
The Café Owner (Supporting) - A kind old woman who convinces the Listener to use the café while she's waiting for the storm to pass, and who plays match-maker when the Listener leaves.
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The voice of anyone applying for the role of Mashirao Ojiro must sound:
- Masculine
- Late-teen to young adult
- Warm
- Have the emotional range to sound happy, flustered, formal and most importantly, comforting.
You must be comfortable or at least willing to play a role that is solely there to be affectionate in a soft-romantic setting, including using the pet name ' (My) Princess'.
This role does not require you to impersonate Ojiro; I'm looking for you to give the role your own flare, however if you would like a reference for his voice, the best audio clips can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuuPHHyzB8w
Character Story Synopsis:
In the audiobook, Ojiro works at a butler café and enjoys his job. When the listener arrives, seeking shelter from the rain, he is quick to drop his formal butler persona when he notices her discomfort at being waterlogged and underdressed compared to the other patrons. Going against the café policies, he sneaks her into the changing rooms where she can dry off.
He cleans the make up off her face and comforts her when she laments how plain she looks without it, then gives her a spare set of his clothes to wear while she stays in the café. After a quick moment involving a wet-and-therefore-see-through blouse and a lot of blushing from both characters, Ojiro takes the listener back into the café and continues his role as the formal butler and waiter, but slips out of character whenever his superiors aren't looking so he can connect with the listener properly.
When the listener finally leaves, Ojiro asks her to keep hold of his spare set of clothes for now, implying he would like to see her again. He also pays for her stay in the café, which the listener does not find out until later.
Key Characteristics:
Ojiro has been told his entire life that he is uninteresting and ordinary, therefore understands how the listener feels when she looks lost in a sea of extravagant and lavish café patrons.
He does not have ulterior motives behind his actions. He is kind to be kind, and wears his heart on his sleeve.
When first meeting the listener, Ojiro adopts his butler persona which is much more straight-laced. You should aim to use a more formal tone when he's in this mode.
"Welcome, Princess. My name is Mashirao Ojiro."
Pronounced: MA-SHI-row (as in, to argue with someone) OH-JEE-ROH[Gentle Pleading] "Only if you leave right now. You won't stay a while?"
[Flustered] "Sorry. I didn't see anything-- no, well I did. But not for long. Sorry. I'll take your jacket. I'll be outside."
Anyone wishing to audition for Iida should strive to have the following qualities to their voice:
- Strong articulation
- Mid-to-low range
- A formal character tone.
You must also be willing to seriously use the pet-name 'Princess' as this is how Iida addresses the café patrons.
Though I'm not looking for impersonation, per se, the following video should give you an indication of what I'm looking for: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbZo2vHInAw
Synopsis of the role:
After going through the entrance desk, the listener climbs the stairs to the café where Iida is there to formally welcome her. He then takes her to her seat, tells her that her personal butler, Mashirao Ojiro will be along shortly, then returns to his post at the door.
He is professional and fully committed to his role of a butler, striving to give a 100% smooth, relaxing and welcoming performance. To that end, you should also be equally committed. It might make you feel silly, but if it's done right then the listener's will never know and we'll both have a performance to be proud of.
"Your butler for today shall be with you momentarily. My name is Tenya Iida and do not hesitate to ask should you need anything more from me."
"Welcome home, Princess."
The old lady that runs the Butler Café. She's a sweet old woman with a kind heart, like anyone's favourite grandma.
For this role, your voice needs to have the following qualities:
- Warm toned
- Passable as elderly
It's that simple.
Personality Points:
The old lady is a genuine, sweet character who sees her café as a way for lost souls and strays to find a place to feel at home. She holds high standards amongst her staff, but cares for their wellbeing and happiness as well as that of the patrons. She's willing to turn a blind eye when Ojiro smuggles the listener out of the main café and into the dressing quarters so he can help her dry off from the storm.
Synopsis for The Old Lady:
When the listener enters the butler café to avoid the rain, the old lady appears from seemingly nowhere and asks if she would like to stay for a while. The listener seems reluctant but the old lady is welcoming and kind and the listener agrees.
She reappears at the end of the story when the listener leaves the café and returns to the entrance desk, saying that one of the butlers, Mashirao Ojiro, has paid for her stay. The listener is about to leave when the old lady requests she take the receipt with her, knowing that Ojiro has left his phone number on the back of it so they can keep in contact.
"Is everything alright? You look positively frozen."
"If you'll wait one moment [...] I suggest you take this. Ojiro was rather insistent."
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